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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kick · bank · capital · stock · tear · dip · mug · season

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. stock — shares
  3. tear — to rip
  4. stock — goods
  5. bank — for money
  6. dip — to sink
  7. mug — a face
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. kick — in football
  11. season — in sport
  12. mug — a cup
  13. capital — a city
  14. mug — to rob
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. season — of the year
  17. bank — of a river
  18. tear — from crying
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. bank — for money
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. capital — money
  24. tear — from crying

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com